Celtics' Derrick White Reacts To 'Pretty Cool' Award Recognition originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Derrick White received a special honor when peers voted him the NBA's Sportsmanship Award winner.

NBA players backed White over five finalists, including former Boston Celtics teammate Al Horford, to earn the Joe Dumars Trophy. White discussed the award before Friday's first-round playoff game against the Philadelphia 76ers, via CLNS Media Boston Sports Network.

"It’s pretty cool," White said. "I think I’m doing things the right way out there, and I think it’s a pretty cool honor."

After the Celtics chose White as their team nominee, a panel of league executives voted him to the final stage. The guard then garnered 77 first-place votes and 113 second-place votes from players.

"I don’t know if guys take those votes too seriously or not," White said. "But it was just cool to be nominated and go out there and do the right thing."

One of the game's fiercest two-way performers, White balances a competitive mentality with a friendly on-court demeanor.

"We have respect for each other," White said. "But at the end of the day, you’re competing. You want to win. So that’s kind of when I’m at my best, is when I’m kind of doing different stuff, like that. And for other people, that doesn’t work, but I feel like it works for me."

White followed Jrue Holiday as Boston's second straight Sportsmanship Award winner. The 31-year-old paid respect to his former teammate for setting an example.

"I just learned a lot from Jrue," White said. "So, shoutout Jrue."

Whire will look to celebrate the achievement by snapping out of his shooting funk. Friday's Game 3 kicks off in Philadelphia at 7 p.m. ET on Prime Video.

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